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Summary of Powerlifting Contests, USA Rankings, Records, and Times Bodyweight

by Gary F. Zeolla

Below is a summary of my contest performances since I started powerlifting again in April 2003.
All weights are in pounds.

See also My Powerlifting Accomplishments

Contests I Have Entered

Date Contest Class/ Bwt. Squat Bench Deadlift Ratio - Total Place
4/12/03 IPA Iron House 114s/ 113.5 275, 290, 305 175, 190, 195 325, 340, 350 9/9  -  850 1st, 1sta
8/8/03 IPA Worlds 114s/ 113.7 310, 325, 335 185, 200, 205 340, 355, 365 8/9  -  900 1st, 1st
11/14/03 IPA Nationals 114s/ 113.6 365, 385, 385 195, 205, 205 355, 370, 380 5/9  -  940 1st, 1st
7/10/04 IPA Worlds 114s/ 113.5 370, 390, 405 195, 210, 220 390, 410, 410 7/9 - 1025 1st, 1st
4/16/05 IPA Iron House 114s/ 113.5 370, 390, 410 200, 215, 225 370, 390, 405
415		 8/10 - 1030 1st, 1st
4/8/06 WNPF Western PA Raw division 123s/ 121.0 365, 385, 400 175, 190, 200 365, 385, 400 7/9 - 975 1st, 1stb, Best Raw Lifter
9/2/06 APF PA States 114s/ 114.5 375, 400, 415 200, 215, 220 375, 400, 410 7/9 - 1030 1st, Best Lifter
9/22/07 IPA PA States 114s/ 114.5 380, 400, 415 200, 210, 220 370, 390, 405 7/9 - 1010 1st, 1st
6/7/08 NASA NE
Unequipped		 114s/ 114.0 281, 309, 331 160, 176, 187 342, 375, 402 9/9 - 920 1st, 1st
6/13/09 RAWU NE & PA - Raw 114s/ 114-3/8 295, 295, 315 160, 180, 190 340, 370, 390, 400 7/10 - 865 1st, 1st, Best Lifter
               

 

a Open and master (40-44) divisions, respectively.
b Open and master (45-49) divisions, respectively.

For details on the above contests, follow the links or see Contest Reports.

USA Ranking

Where I am ranked on the chart for the August 2008 - July 2009 Top 100 lifters in the USA for 114s
(Powerlifting USA, October 2009, p. 103)

Lift Weight Rank
Squat 295 #96
Bench 180 #69
Deadlift 400 #13
Total 865 #28

These lifts are all from my contest on 6/12/09. They are my worse rankings to date. That is because I was competing unequipped, wearing just a belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves. I also had a poor performance on squats and benches this contest, going 1/3 on squats, and 2/3 on benches. But I went 4/4 on deadlifts, hence my better ranking for that lift.

I guess I should be happy that I at least made the list in all four categories despite the very poor performance and lifting unequipped at that contest. My photo is also on the preceding page. But it is ironic that they included my picture when I had my worst rankings ever.

There is also an “unclassified ad” for two of my books on page 64 of the same issue.

My placement on the most recent chart of the Top 20 Masters (over 40) lifters in the USA for 114s
(Powerlifting USA, June 2010).

Lift Weight Rank
Squat 295 #4
Bench 180 #6
Deadlift 400 #1
Total 865 #2

These lifts are all from my only contest in 2009, on June 13. I am not happy with my placements for squats and benches. But that is because I was lifting unequipped, wearing just a belt, wrist wraps, and knee sleeves while the lifters above me are probably competing equipped. I also had a very bad day on squats, getting just my second attempt, and a so-so day on benches, going 2/3. But my #1 placement on DLs reflects that I had a great day, going 4/4, and of course that gear makes little difference on DLs.

If I had the day I had hoped, I probably would have been #2 on squats and #5 on benches. And if I had competed equipped, I might have been #1 in all four categories. Knowing this would probably be the case is why I am in the process of getting new gear and hoping to enter an equipped contest before the end of this year for placement on next year's list.

My best placement on the Top 20 Masters chart was for 2006
(Powerlifting USA, July 2007, pp. 80,81).

Lift Weight Rank
Squat 415 #1
Bench 215 #1
Deadlift 400 #1
Total 1030 #1

I out squatted the #2 lifter by 110 pounds and out-totaled the #2 lifter by over 200 pounds. I was also the only lifter that year out of all eleven weight classes to place #1 in all four categories.

In the same issue, there was also a chart of the “All Time Historical Top 50 American Men’s Squats” (for all ages) for 114s. I placed #36 on that list. But for some reason, that was using my squat from a couple of years ago. If they had used the above squat, I would have been #32.

Powerlifting Watch’s Ranking Lists

Powerlifting Watch now has its own ranking lists, with separate lists for raw, single-ply, and mutli-ply lifters. Unfortunately, they are lumping together 114s, 123s, and 132s under the 132 pound class. But despite competing against lifters as much as two weight classes above me, my rankings are not too bad.

For the final raw list for 2009, lifting raw at 114s:

Lift Weight Rank
Squat 295 #15
Deadlift 400 #13
Total 865 #19

Records

I have broken or set a total of 48 powerlifting records, set in five different powerlifting federations.

IPA, 114, Amateur, Open, World Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 405 7/10/04
Deadlift 410 7/10/04
Total 1025 7/10/04

IPA, 114, Amateur, Master I (40-44), World Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 405 7/10/04
Bench 210 7/10/04
Deadlift 410 7/10/04
Total 1025 7/10/04

IPA, 114, Pro, Open, World Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 410 4/16/05
Bench 220 9/22/07
Deadlift 405 4/16/05
Total 1030 4/16/05

IPA, 114, Pro, Master I (40-44), World Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 410 4/16/05
Bench 215 4/16/05
Deadlift 405 4/16/05
Total 1030 4/16/05

IPA, 114, Pro, Master II (45-49), World Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 400 9/22/07
Bench 220 9/22/07
Deadlift 390 9/22/07
Total 1010 9/22/07

WNPF, 123, Open, PA State Records, Raw Division

Lift Weight Date
Squat 385 4/8/06
Bench 190 4/8/06
Deadlift 400 4/8/06
Total 975 4/8/06

WNPF, 123, Master II (45-49), PA State Records, Raw Division

Lift Weight Date
Squat 385 4/8/06
Bench 190 4/8/06
Deadlift 400 4/8/06
Total 975 4/8/06

APF, 114, Master II (45-49), American Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 415 9/2/06
Bench 215 9/2/06
Deadlift 400 9/2/06
Total 1030 9/2/06

NASA, 114, Unequipped, Open Pure, American Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 331 6/708
Bench 187 6/7/08
Deadlift 402 6/708
Total 920 6/708

NASA, 114, Unequipped, Masters Pure, American Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 331 6/708
Bench 187 6/7/08
Deadlift 402 6/708
Total 920 6/708

RAWU, 114, Raw, Open, American Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 295 6/13/09
Bench 180 6/13/09
Deadlift 400 6/13/09
Total 865 6/13/09

RAWU, 114, Raw, Masters II (45-49), American Records

Lift Weight Date
Squat 295 6/13/09
Bench 180 6/13/09
Deadlift 400 6/13/09
Total 865 6/13/09

RAWU, 114, Masters Bench Record

Lift Weight Date
Bench 180 6/13/09

 

Personal Records

I competed in powerlifting in college (1979-82). Below are my best lifts at that time.

114s: College

Lift Weight Date
Squat 352 2/8/81
Bench 205 10/25/80
Deadlift 410 1/24/81
Total 953 2/8/81

123s: College

Lift Weight Date
Squat 425 2/20/82
Bench 240 2/20/82
Deadlift 435 6/19/82
Total 1095 2/20/82

These lifts were done wearing a belt, wrist wraps, and a single-ply poly "super suit" and 2.0 meter "super wraps." That is the only gear that was allowed at that time. Bench shirts were not invented yet.

My best lifts since I started competing again in 2003 are as follows:

114s: Multi-ply gear, 2.5 meter wraps:

Lift Weight Date
Squat 415 9/2/06
Bench 220 9/22/07
Deadlift 410 7/10/04
Total 1030 4/16/05

As can be seen, I have equaled or bettered all of my college lifts at 114s. But its not a fair comparison given that the multi-ply gear of today is much more beneficial than the gear I used in college.

114s: Unequipped
Lift Weight Date
Squat 331 6/708
Bench 187 6/7/08
Deadlift 402 6/708
Total 920 6/708

By "unequipped" is meant a belt and knee sleeves (not knee wraps) on squats and deadlifts and a belt and wrist wraps on benches, but no squat suit or bench press shirt. It can be seen that I am close to what I did in college. My  goal now is to break those PRs while using this limited gear.

123s: Unequipped
Lift Weight Date
Squat 385 4/8/06
Bench 190 4/8/06
Deadlift 400 4/8/06
Total 975 4/8/06

This was the only contest I have entered at 123s since competing again. Here, "unequipped," meant a belt, wrist wraps, and 2.0 meter knee wraps.

It needs to be noted, I stopped powerlifting when I was 21 and did not compete again until I was 42. I severely regret not having been able to lift and compete through my 20s and 30s. I will always wonder what I might have accomplished if I had been able to do so.

My plans are to lift unequipped from now on. The reason for this is getting a squat suit and bench shirt on and off leaves me very fatigued. Even just wrapping my knees can leave me exhausted. I have also had many hassles with such gear, so I am just fed up with it.

OTOH, I have gotten injured when I have tried to do heavy lifting without any such supportive gear (known as lifting “raw”). But a compromise between these two will be to compete unequipped, wearing just a belt and knee sleeves on squats and deadlifts and a belt and wrist wraps on benches.

Times Bodyweight

The following Times Bodyweight results are based on my best equipped lifts to date and my actual weigh-in weights.

Lift Weight Bodyweight Times Bwt.
Squat 415 114.5 3.62
Bench 220 114.5 1.92
Deadlift 410 113.5 3.61
Total 1030 113.5 9.07

The following is based on the Schwartz Formula. This is the type of formula used instead of times bodyweight to calculate "best lifter" awards at contests. The coefficient for one's bodyweight is multiplied by the weight lifted to give the points result.

Lift Weight Bodyweight Coefficient Points
Squat 415 114.5 .9578 393.462
Bench 220 114.5 .9578 210.716
Deadlift 410 113.5 .9578 392.698
Total 1030 113.5 .9578 986.534

The following is based on the Schwartz Master's Formula. This is the type of formula used to calculate "master (over 40) best lifter" awards at contests. The above Schwartz points are calculated first and then multiplied by the coefficient for one's age to give the points result.

Lift Age Coefficient Points
Squat 45 1.048 412.348
Bench 44 1.031 220.830
Deadlift 44 1.031 399.934
Total 44 1.031 1017.117

Summary of Powerlifting Contests, USA Rankings, Records, and Times Bodyweight. Copyright © 2003-2009 by Gary F. Zeolla.

The above charts were posted on this site November 23, 2003.
It was last updated June 15, 2009.

Powerlifting and Strength Training
 Powerlifting and Strength Training: My Powerlifting Background

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